The safe birth of a baby boy to Japan's Princess Kiko may have been greeted with a broad sigh of relief, but reformers and feminists say it has likely dealt a severe blow to the campaign for equality between the sexes.
'If the Japanese media allow the birth of a boy to put an end to the debate over whether the law should be changed to allow an empress to ascend the throne, then it will set the country back 75 years,' said Haruko Watanabe, a former professor of media studies at Tokyo's Sophia University.
'It would effectively be the same as when the press chose to remain silent in the years leading up to the second world war,' she said. 'It would show that no-one is taking responsibility as an opinion-leader on this issue.'
According to Dr Watanabe, working women across Japan are disappointed the issue of imperial succession is likely to fade from public consciousness, reinforcing the male dominance of Japanese society.
'It also downgrades the importance of Princess Masako within the imperial family, and women are particularly fond of her because, as a former working woman herself and a diplomat, she could have promoted women's issues and the country abroad,' she said. 'Instead, she was prevented by agency bureaucrats from using her talents.'
Princess Masako, the wife of Crown Prince Naruhito, gave birth to a daughter in December 2001. Unfortunately - in the Imperial Household Agency's eyes at least - the baby failed to solve the succession crisis.